May 29, 2018
Liz Writes Life
It was an honor to meet and talk with Ammon Bundy this past
weekend. I had specific questions, which Ammon readily answered. Other
questions were clarified, when he spoke at the dinner held on Saturday night at
the Yreka Community Center. Surprisingly, I found no bitterness in Ammon and
many of us know a few of the horrific treatments he received during the standoffs
with federal agencies and while languishing in detention prison for nearly two
years.
He is amazingly humble and soft-spoken, yet direct and
devoted to the fact that it is time to stand-up to biased, corrupt and evil (my
word) federal bureaucrats. Videos are available of his speech from Saturday
night. It is well worth the time to watch. He is eloquent, heartfelt and
resolved in standing for his rights. I will put the link to a
professionally-made video by Robert Exter – a long-time friend -- on my new
blog called: LizWritesLife.blogspot.com. You can also Google it as Blogspot is
hosted by Google.
Because Ammon and his family’s story is long and deep and
broad, I will only report the answers he gave. If you are interested in
timeline articles, there’s several worth reading. One is by an attorney named
Roger I. Roots J.D., Ph.D. written Jan. 12, 2018 after the latest travesty was
declared a mistrial, with prejudice, by U.S. Judge Gloria Navarro. It is
titled: “Nevada Bundy Prosecution Collapses.” I found it and other very good
articles on Redoubt News.com. Because these articles are so important, I will
post several of them on my blog.
Now I wish to save time and get to the answers from Ammon.
The trials and incarceration were all based on big fat lies.
Lies perpetrated by federal agencies and corrupt attorneys and bureaucrats.
Lies that almost did not see the light of day in the court room. Luckily, the
truth came out and the truth set Ammon, his family and most supporters free in
January 2018.
The big lie was the cover-up of the fact that BLM decided to
use military operations to attack the Bundy family ranch headquarters in April
2014. Government prosecutors repeatedly told U.S. judges that the military
operation did not occur!
It was Ammon’s brother, Ryan Bundy representing himself, who
cross-examined a BLM witness in the October 2017 trial, where it was admitted
there were indeed surveillance cameras on the Bundy home. Then, the court
learned there were also federal snipers surrounding the Bundy headquarters.
This info was in a document that Bundy defense lawyers had demanded and not
received. This is called “discovery” and under court rules should have been
handed over to the defense.
If this info had been turned-over at the beginning, there
would have been little to no political incarceration and no trials. The
military operation document showed the situation had been dire with 213 federal
agents involved. More than 140 were in full tactical gear (snipers). A military
camp was set up. Snipers were stationed 360 degrees around the Bundy home, 13
armed vehicles escorted dump trucks and a back hoe onto the ranch. Helicopters
were flying the skies. Guards were on the main road.
Later, through a BLM whistle blower, it was learned that BLM
Special Agent In Charge, Dan Love, did indeed have a “kill list” and Bundy
names were on it.
So, the big lie was the cover-up.
BLM was out for blood. Nevada Bundys were told they would be
killed for taking a stand against them. Ammon left his Idaho home and businesses. He went to the Clark
Co. Nevada Sheriff asking, once again, for protection telling him the situation
wasn’t worth anyone dying over. Within a few days, feeling the military
build-up and receiving the threats, Ammon changed his mind.
“It was worth dying for,” he said at the dinner. I believe he
was referring to his heritage, his rights, his liberty and his legacy for his
children.
Speaking of sheriffs, for 21 years Cliven Bundy had asked the
Clark Co. Sheriff for protection from the federal agencies; and to a certain
extent the family had received it. But in 2014, BLM was determined and the
county sheriff did not provide that protection.
One of my questions was about his dad, Cliven’s, cattle
regarding the confiscation by the BLM and for-hire cowboys in April 2014 at the
Bunkerville Nevada ranch. Cliven runs 600 head on 200,000 acres of desert. BLM
rustled-up about 400. It is believed that around 60 cows and calves died.
Several prize bulls were shot in the head by snipers in helicopters that
terrorized the cattle. At least 27 calves lost their mothers. At the end of the
standoff, when the Bundys released their cattle to drive them to the river for
water, they found cows with broken legs and hips from the harassment. Many had
been days without water barely surviving in the desert heat. Yep, disgusting!
Where was PETA?
Infrastructure for legal water and grazing rights was
destroyed by BLM. These pipes and water troughs had been built over 100 years
ago to provide life-giving water to livestock and also wildlife. BLM had no
legal jurisdiction for this destruction.
Ammon gave me much
more info and I am out of my allotted space. Next week, I will be writing about
the terrible mess up in the Klamath Project. Because I want to share more of
these important facts, I will write more of it up and post it on my blog. So,
please check it out this week.
POW
We should have quite the meeting at Scott Valley Protect Our
Water. Things are really bad for farmers in the Klamath Project as irrigation
water was stopped, then CA. Dist. 1 Congressman Doug LaMalfa became involved
and some water was released to the farmers. It is a mess. Jim Smith, our
Siskiyou Co. Ag. Commissioner. is from Tulelake and still owns a farm there. He
will explain what is occurring in the Tulelake Irrigation District. Erin Ryan,
staff for LaMalfa, will bring us the most recent happenings and our own,
Siskiyou Co. Dist. 5 Supervisor and chairman of the board, Ray Haupt, is also
up-to-date on additional powers and forces affecting water rights and usage.
The meeting is Thursday, May 31, 2018 at the Fort Jones
Community Center. Time is 7 p.m. Please bring a dessert to share as we eat
before, during and after the meeting.
Liz Bowen began writing ranch and farm news, published in
newspapers, in 1976. She is a native of Siskiyou County and lives near
Callahan. Call her at 530-467-3515. Recent past “Liz Writes Life” columns can
be found on her blog: LizWritesLife.blogspot.com
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